Gordon Heath
Gordon Heath | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 20, 1918 New York City,New York,U.S. |
| Died | August 27, 1991(aged 72) |
| Occupation(s) | Actor,musician,café owner |
| Years active | 1937–1989 |
| Partner | Lee Payant(1949-76; Payant's death) |
Gordon Heath(September 20, 1918 – August 27, 1991) was an American actor and musician who narrated the animated feature filmAnimal Farm(1954) and appeared in the title role ofThe Emperor Jones(1953) andOthello(1955), both live BBC telecasts, respectively directed byAlvin RakoffandTony Richardson.it featured several kisses between himself andRosemary Harrisand is a contender for thefirst interracial kiss on television.
Biography[edit]
Heath was born inNew York City,his parents' only child. His father Cyril Gordon Heath had emigrated fromBarbadosto theUS,where he met and married Hattie Hooper.[1]Gordon Heath showed an early talent for both music and art, but opted to pursue an acting career, working on stage and radio.[1]Joining the New York radio stationWMCAin 1945 he became the first black staff announcer employed by a major US radio station.[1]In 1945 he appeared onBroadwayto great success in the playDeep Are the Roots,written byArnaud d'Usseauand James Gow, directed byElia Kazan,and starringBarbara Bel Geddes.The play ran for 447 performances, and when it was subsequently produced inLondon'sWest End,Heath reprised his co-starring role in it.[1]After the six-month London run, Heath decided to settle inParis, France,in 1948.[2]
He also acted in Paris, and in 1950 in London he playedOthelloon stage and later forBBC Television.He directed an English-speaking production company, the Studio Theater of Paris, for 10 years, from the 1960s.[2]
He and his music and life partnerLee Payantoperated aLeft Bankcafé in Paris called L'Abbaye, whose clientele included the actressRita Hayworthand other celebrities of the era, and where Heath and Payant were the entertainers.[3]Many of the duo'sfolkalbums from the 1950s[3]were recorded there and released on various international labels, includingElektra Records.Payant died on December 14, 1976.
Heath died in Paris after a lengthy illness on August 27, 1991.[2]
Filmography[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | The Emperor Jones | Emperor Brutus Jones | TV movie |
| 1950-1954 | BBC Sunday-Night Theatre | Rev. Ezekiel Selby / Stanley Atlas / Brett Charles | 3 episodes |
| 1954 | Animal Farm | Narrator | Voice |
| 1955 | Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion | Charlie | Episode: "The Prayer Rug" |
| 1955 | Mr. Arkadin | Pianist | Uncredited |
| 1955 | The Heroes Are Tired | Sidney | |
| 1955 | Othello | Othello | TV movie |
| 1956 | Le secret de soeur Angèle | Le trompettiste | |
| 1956 | Man of Africa | Narrator | Voice |
| 1958 | Storm Over Jamaica | Coroner | |
| 1959 | Sapphire | Paul Slade | |
| 1961 | My Baby is Black! | Daniel | |
| 1962 | My Uncle from Texas | ||
| 1966 | Lost Command | Dia | |
| 1969 | Staircase | Postman | |
| 1969 | The Madwoman of Chaillot | The Folksinger | |
| 1970 | Aladdin and His Magic Lamp | Magician of Egypt | English version, Voice |
| 1972 | La nuit Bulgare | ||
| 1972 | L'aventure, c'est l'aventure | Le général africain | |
| 1983 | L'africain | Le ministre | |
| 1985 | Asterix Versus Caesar | Caesar | English version, Voice |
| 1986 | Asterix in Britain | ||
| 1989 | Samuel Fuller's Street of No Return | Black Bum | (final film role) |
Select discography[edit]
- Gordon Heath and Lee Payant Sing Songs of the Abbaye‒ Elektra (1954)
- Chants Tradionnels des Etats-Unis– Editions de la Boite à Musique LD 313 (1955)
- Gordon Heath and Lee Payant Sing Encores from the Abbaye‒ Elektra (1955)
- Folksongs and Footnotes– Abbaye Record 1 (1956)
- An Evening at L'Abbaye– Elektra (1957)
- Abbaye Anniversary Album– Abbaye Record 2 (1959)
- Gordon Heath Sings Spirituals– Abbaye Record 3 (1961)
References[edit]
- ^abcdRapp, Linda (2004)."Heath, Gordon".In Summers, Claude J. (ed.).The Queer Encyclopedia of Music, Dance & Musical Theater.Jersey City, New Jersey:Cleis Press.p. 118.ISBN9781573441988.
- ^abcEleanor Blau (August 31, 1991)."Gordon Heath, 72; Co-Starred in Play 'Dweep are the Roots'".The New York Times.RetrievedJuly 14,2010.
- ^abBruce Eder,Biography of Gordon Heath and Lee Payant,AllMusic.
Bibliography[edit]
- Bourne, Stephen."Heath, Gordon."Who's Who in Contemporary Gay & Lesbian History from World War II to the Present Day.Robert Aldrichand Garry Wotherspoon, eds. London and New York: Routledge, 2001. 183.
- Breman, Paul. "Obituary: Gordon Heath."The Independent(London) (September 13, 1991): 26.
- Heath, Gordon.Deep Are the Roots: Memoirs of a Black Expatriate.Amherst: TheUniversity of Massachusetts Press,1992.
- Shipman, David. "Obituary: Gordon Heath."The Independent(London) (September 2, 1991): 21.
External links[edit]
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| National | |
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